Spotty work histories
Women are more likely to have inconsistent work histories as a result of caregiving responsibilities, leading to smaller Social Security benefits. Benefits are based on a worker’s top 35 years of indexed earnings. Having several years of little or no earnings can mean smaller benefits than an uninterrupted work history. However, working longer, regardless of age, can lead to bigger Social Security benefits in the future. The Social Security Retirement Estimator calculator allows you to experiment with “what if” scenarios by altering your retirement dates or expected future earnings.
